Q & A

Handling Payments from Special Needs Trusts

December 11, 2018

Q I have a Section 8 housing applicant who has a special needs trust. Payment for her part-time attendant and some other expenses are made through the trust. Are regular payments from the trust for the benefit of the applicant considered...

Dealing with Proof of Identity and Second Last Names

December 11, 2018

Q Some of our applicants, especially those from Puerto Rico, have a second last name on their birth certificate that isn’t on their Social Security card. How should this scenario be...

HUD Sets Certain Operating Cost Adjustment Factors for 2019

December 11, 2018

Operating Cost Adjustment Factor (OCAF) rent increases are based on the OCAFs HUD releases annually in the Federal Register. Eligibility is determined by your HAP contract. If the Rent Adjustment section of your contract or plan of action refers to OCAF adjustments, you’re eligible to...

Study: Post-9/11 Veterans Struggling with Housing Affordability

December 11, 2018

A recent study from Apartment List, “The Housing Affordability Struggle of 21st Century Veterans,” found that post-9/11 veterans are more likely to struggle with housing affordability than veterans of previous generations. According to the study, post-9/11 veterans have become the...

Public Housing Repositioning Letters Sent to Executive Directors

December 11, 2018

On Nov. 13, HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing sent a letter to Executive Directors of public housing agencies notifying them of their options related to the repositioning of their public housing properties. In the letter, HUD discusses the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)...

Small Area FMR PHAs May Apply for Additional Administrative Fees

December 11, 2018

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) recently sent letters to PHAs inviting them to request up to $25,000 in additional administrative fees to reimburse them for the costs associated with implementing Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs). As of April 1, 2018, PHAs in 24...

HUD Publishes Notice on Verifying SSNs for PHAs

December 11, 2018

HUD recently published Notice PIH 2018-24 entitled “Verification of Social Security Numbers (SSNs), Social Security (SS) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits; and Effective Use of the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System’s Identity Verification Report.” This...

Court Denies Government's Proposed Settlement for NYCHA Violations

December 11, 2018

Facts: The U.S. government asked a court to approve a proposed consent decree or settlement without admission of liability with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The decree sought to bring organizational...

State-Legalized Recreational Marijuana and Federally Assisted Housing

November 19, 2018

Q With the recent midterm elections, my state has legalized the use of recreational marijuana. Has there been any change in HUD policy with regard to marijuana use in public housing or Section 8 sites?

Assessing Whether Tenant Actions Are Deliberate to Avoid Paying Rent

November 19, 2018

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HUD to Revise REAC Scoring System

November 19, 2018

As part of its continuing effort to support “decent, safe, and sanitary housing,” HUD announced, in a Multifamily Communications email, that it has been conducting an internal review of the Real Estate Assessment Center’s (REAC’s) physical inspection system. Secretary...

GAO: HUD Programs Don’t Provide Adequate Staff Guidance for Making DEC Referrals

November 19, 2018

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report that examined the processes for referring cases of potential noncompliance to HUD’s Departmental Enforcement Center (DEC). The GAO looked at three HUD program offices—the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs,...